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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842530">Merry and Bright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/msgilliana/pseuds/msgilliana'>msgilliana</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The X-Files</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergent, F/M, Wedding, Winter wedding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:13:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,619</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/msgilliana/pseuds/msgilliana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>25 Days of Ficmas Day 2: Wedding</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fox Mulder/Dana Scully</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>bisexualreina and msgilliana’s 25 days of ficmas</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Merry and Bright</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Emily 💛</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>December 2, 2006</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Footsteps hurried down the hallway, causing creaks on the older oak floors. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thump, thump, thump</span>
  </em>
  <span> echoed from the plastered drywall as a child, yet four-years-old, slowed in front of his parents’ bedroom door. He tiptoed carefully, suddenly not wanting to make any noise. The little boy grabbed the silver knob and turned quietly clockwise, closing one eye as the door creaked. He was met with the sleeping form of his mother, who claimed the right side of the bed. The boy walked over to get a closer look: she was lying on her side facing him, part of her auburn hair splayed across her cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy,” the boy whispered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried again, this time closer as he raised his voice a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That seemed to do the trick. The woman opened her eyes slowly, groaning. As she rubbed her eyes, she sat up and moved to face her son. The man next to her had yet moved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning, mommy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, baby,” she said, pulling him up onto her lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to go potty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, come on.” The woman stood, grasping at the little boy as they made their way to his room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She set him down in front of the bathroom and waited for him to finish, making sure he flushed the toilet and washed his hands. He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m hungry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only partly awake, she reached up for a cereal box and grabbed a bright green plastic bowl. Pouring the flakes in, she closed the box and put it up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want milk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need your milk, William,” his mother said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her tone was kind, but he didn’t want to upset her. William huffed and mumbled ‘fine,’ but he was anything but. His mother opened the refrigerator door and took out a gallon of milk with a blue lid. After pouring a small amount of the creamy white liquid, she placed the bowl in front of where her son usually sat. She picked him up and placed him on the booster seat, as he was still too short to sit on the chair whilst at a comfortable height. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cries could be heard from a white walkie-talkie looking device, and she went to turn the volume down. The woman disappeared, not before giving her son a forehead kiss, and returned with a smaller human, this one with a pale blue onesie that read ‘Night Owl.’ She placed the baby in a high chair across from her son, and prepared a breakfast of cheerios and a cut-up banana. The small child eagerly grabbed at the food, mashing the banana to their mouth and dampening the cheerios with their saliva.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emmy’s messy, mommy,” William told his mother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She just turned one, Will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He accepted her explanation and continued eating, greeting his father when the tall man appeared minutes later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, daddy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, kiddo,” he said, grabbing his son’s head and kissing it. He then went to his partner, placing his hands on her hips and kissing her neck as she cut up an apple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mulder…” the woman warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, Scully. I’m just giving you some loovveee,” he teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, save your ‘loovveee’ for later. I’m hungry.” Scully placed the slices into a bowl and took it as she joined her children at the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Defeated, Mulder sighed and grabbed a pop tart from the pantry. He sat at the end, unwrapping the silver foil and placing a pastry into his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, any plans today, Scully?” he asked with his mouth full.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She eyed him, not knowing whether he was joking or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just kidding. What time do we have to be at the church?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t have to be there until half an hour before pictures. I need to take Em with me and I need to leave in about,” she looked at her watch, “two hours. And I need to shower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll join you,” Muder smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scully opened her mouth, hoping their impressionable son hadn’t heard a word. William remained blissfully unaware of the sexual innuendo, and she sighed in relief. This was going to be a long morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>X</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know,” Scully said sweetly as she changed Em into a soft red dress, the child wailing as her skin met the air. As the (very small) flower girl, Scully had picked a sleeveless dress with a frilly bottom for her younger child. Complete with white shoes and sweater, Em looked like a princess in her mother’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can change her,” a woman offered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, Missy. I can do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dana, we need to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>ready,” another woman chimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, and I’m almost done. I just need to put on my dress.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish we could’ve done this at our church.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom, you know Mulder’s Jewish. We couldn’t even if we wanted to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mother tsked in disapproval. With not being able to get married in a Catholic church, Scully chose another church, Episcopalian, that was available for winter weekend. Maggie Scully had not been a fan, but Scully reminded her that Mulder made the compromise to get married in a church at all for her family’s sake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So when are the boys getting here?” Missy asked, diverting from the current topic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About half an hour.” Scully finished dressing Em and gave her to Maggie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you’d better put your dress on so you can get your pictures before they get here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scully unzipped white garment bag that had been hanging on a rack and took out her dress. It was a long-sleeved dress that had a mess top covered in lace detail and sparkled throughout, while the bottom was a simple white bottom that flowed, allowing room to move. She removed her robe and Missy held the dress as Scully stepped into it to avoid messing up her hair, which was in a simple half-back. Maggie zipped up the back with one hand as Scully and her sister smoothed the dress down. Hands left the dress and Scully turned to face the women. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you look beautiful, Dana,” her mother praised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knock, knock,” a voice rang as they acted out their verbal cue. A woman opened the door, followed by another. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Scully greeted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look so beautiful, Dana,” the woman said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amazing,” the other agreed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scully blushed at the compliment from her sister-in-laws. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just came by to say the photographer is ready whenever you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Tara.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Kaitlyn, how’s the knucklehead?” Missy asked in reference to her and Scully’s younger brother and Kaitlyn’s husband.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know. The usual. It’s like having a third kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The women laughed and Scully looked in a mirror for last-minute touch-ups. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look great, Danes. Now go out there and knock ‘em dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>X</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After Scully took her part of the pictures, including all of the Scully women at various times, the photographer wanted just one last set of pictures with her and Em. However, the toddler was not having it. Her wails echoed throughout the church sanctuary. Scully suggested taking photos of them walking down the aisle but from behind, so the photographer bent down to capture photos of Em’s little hand clutching her mother’s for dear life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The boys are here,” Tara announced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scully picked up Em and made her way to the front of the church.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dana, wait!” Maggie gasped, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You need to do the first-look pictures!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom.” Scully rolled her eyes, but agreed. She sent Kaitlyn out to relay the message, so she only came back in with Charlie and William. Bill brought up the rear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy!” William exclaimed, going in for a hug. “You look boo-tuh-ful!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, baby. Is your daddy outside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Dana, just walk out and do your thing,” the photographer instructed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scully took a deep breath and opened the four doors to the outside. Mulder was a good few yards ahead, watching the oncoming traffic. While he knew what the dress looked like, he’d never seen her in it, so Scully was anxious. She slowly made her way to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as she heard the clicks of the camera.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mulder turned around and his smile was wide. He took in every inch of her, placing his hands on her waist as he kissed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are the most beautiful woman in the world.” He smiled, taking her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. You’re not too bad yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled. “What do you say we get married after taking these pictures?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a plan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>X</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ceremony was beautiful, neither one willing to take their eyes off the other as the pastor spoke. It was a smaller ceremony with family and a few friends. Missy stood as Maid of Honor and Charlie as Best Man. Em and William captured the hearts of all as he helped his little sister down the aisle. Missy held Em as William stood next to Charlie and experienced what very few of his classmates had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Mulder and Scully recited their vows, the other struggled to contain their happiness. As much as life had taken from them, this was their moment to take back. They could not think of a better way to end their fight than by just being. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mulder had proposed when little Emilia was just one month old, Scully still exhausted and healing from the birth. She still had her wits about her, though, and happily agreed. Now, they would forever be known as Mr. Mulder and Dr. Scully, truth-seeker and doctor, father and mother to two wonderful children, and two people so wonderfully in love.</span>
</p>
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